There is nothing wrong with aiming small.
I think that that is part of the key to understanding why the 53K are targetted- Because anything they're talking about now has a good chance of making it big later on.
It's a risk, and it doesn't always (seldom?) pays out, but if I were to infer into the minds ofany dozens of developers, I'd think they're looking at the Techcrunch readers as the type of Early Adopters that they want/need to get them started- The type of people who are going to get excited about a product, to tell their friends.
These are the people who will spend a day trying new technologies, whereas most "normal" people only try it once a friend recommends it. Those targeting the TC-crowd want to find that friend.
-Colin
Doesn't that prove the post wrong? Clearly those 53K were a very powerful group...
Consider HD TVs and displays. Years back, it was the enthusiasts who were the early adopters. But I can assure you HD is no niche market and the companies behind them were not aiming small.